1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an adapter for selectively engaging a protective sleeve or needle shield over a hypodermic needle.
2. Description of the Related Art
The use of needles, such as hypodermic needles, by medical personnel is common place. During the use of such needles, the medical personnel occasionally unintentionally stick themselves with the needle intended for the patient. Such needle sticks most commonly occur after the needle has been used on the patient, such as for an injection, a transfusion, or the taking of blood, and an attempt is being made to recap the needle. The needle then carries bacteria or viruses from the patient and the needle stick can result in transmittal of the illness to the medical personnel treating the patient. Two factors which aggravate the problem are long hours put in by medical personnel which causes lack of attention and reduced coordination during the use of the needle, and an increase in diseases which are transmittable by a contaminated needle such as, for example, acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).
In response to the growing problem of transmittal of diseases by inadvertent needle sticks, numerous syringe safety devices have been developed, including, for instance, a syringe safety sleeve, U.S. Pat. No. 4,743,233, by one of the coinventors of the present application. In the preferred embodiments, a sleeve is provided for sliding engagement over a syringe barrel between a first position protecting the needle from contact and a second position exposing the needle for use. The sleeve is fastenable in position by threaded portions on the syringe barrel engaging cooperating threaded portions on the interior surface of the sleeve, or by a projection and channel arrangement. In each instance, a modification of the standard syringe barrel is required for securing the sleeve in the needle protecting position.
Other shielded syringe needles are also known, including a shielded hypodermic syringe as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,425,120 in which a needle guard is locked into position to protect the needle by a track on the internal surface of the guard and by track engaging members on the barrel. The needle guard includes a guard tube and an inner sleeve, the sleeve having a pair of tracks opening at opposite ends thereof for accepting the track engaging members.
In Spencer U.S. Pat. No. 4,723,943 is disclosed a sheath syringe in which the sheath has a longitudinal groove to engage a guide lug on the syringe body.
In the Mitchell U.S. Pat. No. 4,631,057 is disclosed a shielded needle having a needle guard which is locked in the extended position by interlocking members carried on the needle guard and by a collar mounted on the body of the syringe.
A distinct disadvantage with the known needle protecting devices is that modification of the syringe barrel with some type of engaging means to hold the needle guard or sleeve in the needle protecting position is required. This prevents the known safety devices from being used with readily available unmodified syringes including those currently in stock at health care facilities.